[page 1]
THE VEGETATION OF KOREA.
BY ERNEST H. WILSON, M.A.
Arnold Arboretum, Harvard University.
Apropos of travel, Charles Darwin, in a retrospective chapter in his classical “ Voyage of the
Beagle,” says “ A traveller should be a botanist, for in all views plants form the chief embellishment.
Group masses of naked rock, even in the wildest forms, may for a time afford a sublime spectacle, but
they will soon grow monotonous. Paint them with bright and varied colours and they become
fantastic ; clothe them with vegetation, and they must form a decent, if not beautiful picture.”
Now, all of you, and all people in general, love flowers, and botany, which is the intimate
study of flowers, ought to be a pleasing recreation. Yet I fear that botany has suffered much at the
hands of its professors. There have been invented too many hard terms and difficult names, which
wearily tax the memory of would-be students, and cause many to regard botany as a dry and difficult
science. This ought not to be, for the study is full of interesting phenomena, and it ought to be a
simple matter to attract and hold the attention of any student As an example : take Grass, which is
found the world over and upon which so much animal life depends. Did you ever consider why it is
that when the blades (leaves) of Grass are cut they grow again? If the leaf of an ordinary plant is cut
no regeneration takes place, and it either remains in a mutilated state until Autumn or dies prematurely.
Did the same obtain with Grass we could have no lawns nor meadows, and what would herbivorous
animals do for food? The explanation is in the simple fact that in the Grasses the growth cells are
situated at the extreme base of the leaf, whereas in ordinary plants the growth cells are situated at the
apex of the leaf. [page 2]
Again, take the Aspen or Trembling Poplar whose leaves are scarcely ever still. Did you
ever examine these leaves to find out the cause of their extreme sensibility to the faintest breath of
moving air? If so, you must have noted that the leafstalk, unlike that of an ordinary plant which is
rounded on three sides and only slightly flattened and grooved on the upper, thus holding the leafblade in a rigid position, is flattened laterally, and the leaf-blade in consequence is poised at a most
delicate angle. I could cite many other instances, were it necessary, to prove the interest there is in the
study of the common plants around us;but my object this afternoon is to tell a little about the
vegetation of Korea, and more especially of the trees which grow there.
A question frequently asked is : What books are there dealing with the botany of Korea—
books which tell of the common forms一books which would enable a novice to identify the plants
met with in Korea? The answer is, and I make it regretfully, there are no such books and I fear it will
be a long time before any such will be written. Nevertheless, there are books such as: Forbes and
Hemsley’s “Index Florae Sinensis,” Palibin’s “Conspectus Florae Koreanae.” Komarov’s “Flora
Mandslmrica” ; also the “Flora Sylvatica Koreana “ and several others by Dr. T. Nakai ; but all these
are highly technical in character and of little or no use to the beginner. Nevertheless, it is satisfactory
to know that the Government or Korea, following the example of that of Great Britain, is carrying out
a systematic investigation of the flora of Korea. The work is in the capable hands of Dr. T. Nakai, of
the Imperial University, Tokyo, who is the foremost living authority on the subject. As the result of the
work already done we know that the known flora of Korea comprises about three thousand species
and varieties belonging to seven hundred and eighty genera and one hundred and fifty families ; of
this number about six hundred are woody plants—that is trees, shrubs and climbers. It is these woody
plants that are my particular study and, more [page 3] especially, the trees. Now, the flora of Korea is
essentially northern or boreal in character, and its most marked feature is the almost complete absence
of broad-leaf evergreen woody plants. A few do occur in the extreme south, but none is widely
distributed over the country. Quite the opposite obtains in Japan, where from Tokyo southward broadleaf evergreen trees and shrubs abound. Again, in Korea there is a marked absence of Bamboos which
are such a characteristic feature of the flora of Japan. In the New England States of Eastern North
America, the general aspect of the flora is similar to that of Korea, because of the same marked
absence of broad-leaf evergreen woody plants, whereas that of Old England, containing as it does
many broad-leaf evergreens, more resembles that of Japan, These striking differences are largely due
to climate. Japan and England both enjoy an equable, insular climate, and rains are generally
distributed over the whole year—a condition favorable to the growth of evergreen plants. Whereas the
climate of Korea and of Eastern North America is continental in character ; that is to say,one of
extremes of heat and cold, and one in which the rainfall is limited to definite periods of the yean Such
a climate is favorable to the growth of deciduous plants, but is inimical to those of an evergreen nature.
In the extreme south and southeast of Korea, near the sea, the climate is materially modified through
the influence of the Japan current, and the flora is different in aspect to that of the other parts of the
peninsula.
Again, the flora of any country is markedly influenced by the nature of its soil. For example :
many plants, such as Rhododendrons, detest limestone. Now, geologically, Korea is mainly composed
of granite, basalt, and highly metamorphosed rocks of Pre-Cambrian age. In the northeast (the region
of Paik-Tu-san), in the east-central portion (round Fukkei). ana on Quelpaert in extreme south, the
basalt has been forced to the surface by volcanic action. West of Gensan, and extending almost to the
China Sea, mud-shales, slates and a little limestone, all of Paleozoic age, obtain ; a similar formation
is found to the [page 4] northeast of Taiden. The southeast corner of the peninsula is of Mesozoic
rocks, largely limestones. Each of these formations support a certain number of plants which are
peculiar to them, so, in order to get a comprehensive idea of the flora, it is necessary to visit as many
parts of the country as possible.
Until Tertiary times—that period of vast upheavals and submersions, due to the folding of
the earth’s crust—Japan was joined to the mainland ; also, the climate of the northern lati-tudes was
very much warmer than it is at the present time. In Tertiary times volcanic activity was very great and
apparently the volcanoes of Korea, except the peak of Paik-Tu-san itself and two islands of the
Quelpaert group, ceased activity about the close of this period.
In Tertiary times the flora of the northern Hemisphere — that of America, Europe and
Asia—was similar, as is proved by the fossil remains found in these regions. The diversity which now
obtains was brought about through the destructive influence of the period of great cold (Glacial Epoch)
which the close of the Tertiary period ushered in. In Europe and in North America the ice cap
descended far to the south, forcing the plants to migrate, and destroying all that remained in its path.
In northeastern Asia, whilst the ice cap did not reach Korea nor Japan, the temperature was greatly
lowered and there was a general receding of the vegetation toward the south. This migration of trees,
and other forms of vegetation, was brought about then as it is now by means of their seeds being
carried by birds, animals, winds, sea currents, etc. In Europe so great was the destruction during the
period of great cold that to-day only thirty-six genera of trees grow there. In North America, where the
continuity of land is much greater, the destruction was correspondingly less. That previous to the
period of great cold, the flora of the northern Hemisphere was everywhere similar is proved very
conclusively by fossil evidence. For example : Magnolias now grow only on the Himalayas, in China,
Korea! Japan and in North America east of the Mississsipi Valley, but fossil remains are abundant in
the shallow [page 5] sea off the coast of Holland, in the estuary of the Thames and other English
rivers. There too are found fossil remains of the Tulip Tree and of the Sassafras, of which to-day only
two species of each are known—one of each in Eastern North America, and another of each in Central
China. In connection with this one of the most interesting trees living today is the Ginkgo, or the
Maidenhair Tree (Ginkgo biloba). During Mesozoic times, when Cycads and Giant Lycopods formed
the dominant features of the vegetation in the northern latitudes, the Ginkgo flourished. To-day it is
unknown in a wild state, but fossil remains, apparently identical with the living tree, have been found
in England, in Greenland, in North America and in Siberia. The Ginkgo is a favourite with Buddhists,
and in China, Japan and Korea is found associated with their temples and other buildings, and
undoubtedly it has been preserved through the influence of the Buddhists and other religious sects.
Another example of the beneficient guardianship of the trees by religious communities is afforded by
the Common Pear of Europe, many of the best varieties of which were originated by Catholic priests
in Belgium, and found their way into general cultivation after the close of the Napoleonic wars.
Every country has a few (or many) plants peculiar to it —these are spoken of as endemic
species—but the bulk of the species are usually common to contiguous areas ; their distribution being
limited by adverse influences of climate and soil only. The genera to which species belong have
usually a much more extended distribution. For example : the genera represented in Korea are also
found in Europe, in northern Asia ana in North America. In the case of herbs and low growing alpine
shrubs, it sometimes happens that the species are the same in all four lands, but usually, and
particularly in the case of trees, whilst the genera to which the species belong may be common to the
whole northern Hemisphere, the species are usually peculiar to definite geographical areas. This is
true for Korea where, however, endemic species are relatively few in number, the majority of them
being found also in Manchuria, in the Amur [page 6] region, and in northern Japan. I mentioned
earlier that the general aspect of the flora of Korea was similar to that of the New England States of
Eastern North America, but it must be remembered that this resemblance is only superficial in
character, for in every instance the species—that is the component ele-ments—of woody plants are
different in the two regions.
Now since the known flora of Korea consists of about three thousand species and varieties,
it is obviously impossible in the time at my disposal to give a detailed account of the whole flora. My
special study is woody plants, so I propose to confine my remarks mainly to them, and since trees are
the most important of woody plants it will be just as well to concentrate our attention on them and,
better still, on certain groups of trees. In Korea, there are about seventy-five genera of trees, none of
them peculiar to the country ; the number of species and varieties of trees is about one hundred and
sixty and quite a number of these are found only in Korea. The commonest trees are species of Birch,
Oak, Maple, Willow, Poplar, Hornbeam, Ash, Dogwood, Pine, Fir, Spruce and other Conifers.
The Conifers,of which the Pine and Fir (Balsam) are the two commonest representatives in
Korea, form a highly important class of trees ; most of them have small, persistent, evergreen leaves,
and nearly all furnish useful timber. The Pine, so abundant as a low scrubby tree around Seoul, is a
Red Pine, the name of which is Finus densiflora. This Fine is found all over Korea and crosses the
Yalu River into Manchuria ; it is also abundant in Japan from the extreme south to the limits of
northern Hondo. Under favourable circumstances it is a handsome tree, growing one hundred feet or
more tall, with a trunk from eight to ten feet in girth, and has papery, reddish bark, and a flattened or
oval crown. The wood is of a fair quality, and is used in all sorts of general construction work. In
Korea this Pine may be at once recognised by its having only two (rarely three) leaves in a sheath, and
by its small cone, the scales of which open and shed the winged seeds. The other common Pine is
known as Pinus koraiensis—the [page 7] Edible Nut or Blue Pine of Korea. This species is
characterized by its having five leaves in a sheath, and by its large cone, which falls off when it is ripe
but does not open to shed its large, nut-like seeds, which have no wing. This species is distributed
from the mountains of Chiri-san, near the southern end of the peninsula, northward to the valleys of
the Tumen and Yalu rivers and beyond. It also grows wild in Japan in the provinces of Hida, Echigo,
and western Shinshu and is one of the trees which prove that in former times Japan and Korea were
connected by land. The wood of this Korean Pine is of excellent quality, and is largely used for
general construction work. Questions concerning timber concessions of this Pine, and of Spruce and
Larch, in the upper regions of the Yalu and Tumen rivers, had much to do in precipitating the RussoJapanese war.
On the higher peaks of Kongo-san a Creeping Pine forms a dense jungle. This Pine, known
as Finns pumila, is a northern plant, abundant in northeastern Asia, from Lake Baikal eastward to
Saghalien ; also in Hokkaido, and in Hondo as far south as the Japanese Alps in Shinshu. It grows on
all the higher peaks, both volcanic and granitic, in northern Korea, except on that of Paik-Tu-san itself
Its absence from that mountain proves that volcanic activity took place there at a much later date than
on the other mountains of the same range.
Another tree common around Seoul is the Korean Fir or Balsam (Abies holophylla). This
has dark green, prickly leaves radiating from the branch like the teeth of a comb ; branches in tiers
one above another and a large, erect, green, cylindrical cone which falls to pieces when ripe. This tree
is very ornamental, but the wood, which is white and soft is of little value. Two other species of Fir
occur in Korea, one in the south, and one from Kongo-san northward. The northern species is Abies
nephrolepis, and in the valley of the Yalu River it forms extensive forests. The cone of this species is
violet purple in color, and the wood, which is white, makes useful planking and also ood matchsplints. [page 8]
Two species of Spruce (Picea jezoensis and P. Koyamai) grow in Korea, and are especially
abundant in the extreme north. The wood of these two species is superior even to that of the Korean
Nut Pine, and is in fact the most valuable of all the softwood trees that grow in Korea. In general
appearance Spruces resemble the Firs, but they have a pendulous cone which, when ripe, opens and
sheds its seeds, but does not disintegrate, and remains attached to the tree for a year or more.
In the region of Paik-Tu-san, grow extensive forests of Larch. This Larch is a large-coned
variety of the species (Larix dahurica) common to the whole of northeastern Asia as far west as Lake
Baikal, and the proper name for this Korean Larch is Larix dahurica, var. Principis-Riipprechtii. In
Korea, Larch is found only on soils of volcanic origin, but so extensive are the forests of this tree that
it is possible for one to ride on horseback for several consecutive days and see scarcely another tree
but Larch. These Larch trees grow from one hundred twenty to one hundred and forty feet tall, and
have mast-like trunks from eight to eleven feet in girth. The timber is valuable and is used for ship’s
masts, telegraph poles, in bridge- building, and in general construction work. Larch-logs, with those
of Spruce, Fir, and Nut Pine, are rafted down the Yalu and Tumen rivers in great quantities and are the
principal timbers of northern Korea.
The Larch forests in their typical form are pure, often park-like in aspect, and the trees,
though varying in size, are more or less of an age. In such forests young seedlings are never seen,
except on the edges of paths and in areas that had been swept by fire. In the volcanic region of
northern Korea after an ordinary forest fire Larch, Birch and Trembling Poplar are the first trees to
appear. This interesting fact is highly suggestive, and points out a way of economically effecting
reafforestation. Now, it is very generally thought that a forest, if left undisturbed, will continue to
perpetuate itself indefinitely, but this is by no means a fact, for in the course of centuries one type of
tree after another will predominate, and the character of the forest [page 9] becomes changed. In
other words there is a rotation of forests, even as a good farmer maintains a rotation of crops. In
northern Korea, in the raik-Tu-san region especially, Nature’s method of forest rotation is clearly
demonstated. The cycle is roughly as follows: In the course of time after volcanic activity in that
region, as after forest fires at the present time, seedlings of Birch, Trembling Poplar and Larch sprang
up. The seeds of these plants being light are easily transported long distances by wind, and all three
kinds of trees are abundant in the region to the north of Korea. Larch though a light-demanding tree
needs, when young, a certain amount of shade, and Birch and Trembling Poplar with their slender
twiggy branches afford just the requisite amount. These three kinds of trees grow together in harmony
for a few years, the Birch and Poplar growing the faster at the commencement, but after twenty or
thirty years the Larch overtops the Birch and Poplar and finally kills them, and pure forests of Larch
remain. As the Larch trees increase in size so the forest floor beneath them becomes more and more
shady and invites the presence of shade-loving trees such as Fir, Spruce and Nut Pine. What happens
is this : When the pure Larch forests are sixty to a hundred years old, seedlings of Fir, Spruce and Nut
Pine creep in, and in course of time grow into trees and finally kill out the Larch. Larch with its
deciduous leaves, and trunks clean of branches for a considerable distance, is in less danger from fire
than Spruce or Fir, which keep their branches from near the ground upward and, moreover, have a
very resinous bark and evergreen, resinous leaves : The result is that sooner or later, either from
electric storms or from human agency, fire overtakes these forests of Spruce and Fir. If the fire is only
moderately severe, Larch, Kirch and Poplar quickly spring up where the forests of Spruce and Fir
grow and the cycle is repeated. If, on the other hand, the fire is very severe (or the deforestation by
man be completed) grasses and coarse herbs succeed and the region becomes virtually a wilderness.
In the course of time bushes and trees of a deciduous character spring up among the grass and finally
[page 10] a forest of deciduous trees is developed. As these in turn are attacked by fire or man, the
Red Pine (Pinus densiflora) which is constantly advancing from the south, enters and ultimately forms
pure forests beneath whose shade scarcely an herb or blade of grass can flourish. These types of
forests, either in their complete form or in their different stages of development, may be seen by
anyone travelling up and down Korea.
The Korean has done his best in the course of ages to utterly destroy the forests of his
country, but in the northeastern regions he was ably abetted by one of Hideyoshi’s armies which
landed there during the time of that famous Japanese warrior’s invasion of Korea. But we digress-Of
the other Conifers of Korea, which include three Junipers and an Arbor-vitae, little need be said since
they are quite unimportant, though one Juniper (Jiiniperus rigida), with spiny leaves, is common
around Seoul and elsewhere in Korea.
The Yew family is represented in Korea by Taxus cuspidata and two other allied plants of
lesser importance) The Taxus is a common tree on some of the lower peaks of the Diamond
Mountains, where handsome specimens fifty feet tall, with trunks from eight to ten feet in girth, and
broad spreading crowns are common. In fact, nowhere in eastern Asia have I seen such magnificent
Yew trees as on the Diamond Mountains.
Deciduous-leaf trees, commonly spoken of as hard-wood trees, are well represented in
Korea and in many parts, notably on the east coast north of Gensan, and in the northwest (Unsan
district), form extensive forests. Large trees are not common, and scarcely one yields timber of good
quality. The Oak, which is perhaps the most important of these trees, is represented by six species.
The most common of these is the Quercus mongolica, which is closely related to the English Oak and
is found all over the country and in the north is the only represent-ative of the genus. Handsome trees
of this Oak are very rare and the wood is of second rate quality only. This same species grows also in
Hokkaido, where its timber is superior and of great value; this fact illustrates the importance of soil
and [page 11] climate in the development of timber. Another common Oak is Quercus dentata,
usually met with on the hillsides as dwarf scrub. It has large leaves, hairy on the underside, and large,
shaggy acorn-cups ; when allowed to grow into a tree it has a deeply fissured bark, rich in tannin, and
is employed in tanning hides. The same species also grows in China, and in Japan where it is very
abundant in Hokkaido. The other deciduous- leafed Oaks are comparatively unimportant in Korea ; on
Quel- paert grow five species of Oak with evergreen leaves all of which grow also in Japan.
Of the eight species of Birch the most noteworthy is Betula Schniidtii, called by the
Koreans “ Pak-Tal,” which has a firm, close-grained wood, heavier than water ; this wood is largely
exported to China, where it is used in making carts. The tree grows on steep, cliff-like ground only,
and is never found on volcanic soils ; it is abundant on the Diamond Mountains, and its clear yellow
autumnal tints contribute very largely to the Autumn glory of that region. A Silver Birch (Betula
japonica), and a Red Birch (Betula dalmrica), are widely distributed through Korea, especially on
volcanic soils, and it is these species and one other which grow so commonly in association with
young Larch trees in northern Korea.
Maples are very common throughout the peninsula, and of the eight species, five are
peculiar to the country. Perhaps the most common and certainly the most noteworthy is Acer pseudosieboldianitm whose leaves in Autumn change to brilliant shades of orange, scarlet and crimson.
Another common species, especially at low elevations, is Acer ginnala ; the leaves of this species are
shipped to China and from them a blue, indigolike dye is extracted. Two species having pinnately
divided leaves (Acer triflorum, A. manchuricum) grow to a large size and are among the handsomest
of Korean trees.
The Keyaki (Zelkowa serrata), whose wood is used for making Korean chests, and in Japan
in making jinrikishas, is fairly common from the neighbourhood of Seoul southward ; a Walnut
(Juglans mandshurica) is common, especially in rich [page 12] woods, in central and northern
Korea. Of Tree Willows there are several species. The one so common around Seoul and which has
hanging or spreading branches is Salix koreensis. There are four species of Poplar in Korea一Populus
tremula, P. Simonii, P. suaveolens and F. Maximowiczii. The first named is always a small tree ; the
others grow to a large size, indeed P. Maximowiczii attains a greater size than any other tree in Korea.
This species is especially abundant in northeastern Korea, where trees one hundred feet high, with
trunks from eighteen to twenty feet in girth are not uncommon. The same species also grows in
Hokkaido. Of Elms six species grow in Korea Ulmus japonica is the most common and most widely
distributed. In the arid valleys of northern and northwestern Korea ; Ulmus pumila is fairly common.
Although this tree grows to a large size, when young it can be very successfully employed for hedges
as has been done at the railway stations many throughout Manchuria from Antung northward. There
are other interesting trees in Korea, but time does not admit of my mentioning them here.
Of deciduous shrubs there is great variety in Korea, many of them bearing bright-colored,
handsome flowers. For example: around Seoul grow at least three kinds of Azaleas (Rhododendron
mucronulatum, R. poukhanense, R. Schlippen- bachii). The last named grows to a large size, and has
beautiful, clear pink flowers. R. poukhanense is a low shrub with mauve-colored, fragrant flowers.
The Golden-bells (Forsythia vindissima), two Weigellias (Diervilla florida, D. floribunda), the Lilac,
the Yellow Rose, and the pink-flowered Indigofera are all beautiful plants worthy of a place in every
garden. Only two kinds of Barberry grow in Korea. One of them (Berberis koreana) is abundant in
this neighbourhood ; the other is rare but occurs scattered on the mountains throughout the length and
breadth of the peninsula. Curiously enough the Bramble, so prolific in species in the northern
Hemisphere generally is represented in Korea (except in the extreme south) by four species only. The
most common is Rubus crataegifolius, [page 13] whose reddish stems are conspicuous in Winter.
From Seoul southward the white-stemmed R. coreanus is fairly common, and in the extreme north a
species with delicious Raspberry-like fruits is abundant.
Of climbing plants the variety is not so great, but individually they are abundant, none more
so than the lovely Ampclopsis Veitchii so common on rocks and cliffs, and whose leaves in Autumn
assume such fiery tints. A Bittersweet (Celastrns articulatus) is also abundant, and in the Autumn and
early Winter, when laden with masses of yellow fruits which open and display the scarlet seeds within,
is most conspicuous. Another common climber has many of its leaves wholly or in part white and is
often called “ Snow on the Mountains.” Its name is Actinidia kolcmikta. Another species of this genus,
A. arguta, has greenish brown fruit which is edible and is much esteemed by the Koreans. In central
and northern Korea a true Grape Vine Vitis anmrensis) is abundant. It bears shining black fruits which
are edible but are rather harsh in flavour ; in Autumn its leaves change to fine shades of crimson, Then,
too, there are several species of Clematis with white, yellow and purple flowers ; two kinds of
Rambler Roses, each with clusters of white, fragrant flowers ; the Kudo Vine (Pucraria Thunbergiana)
with erect spikes of reddish, pea-like flowers which are followed by hairy fruit pods ; others with less
conspicuous flowers, and, lastly, but not the least beautiful, a Climbing Honeysuckle (Loniccra
japonica) with sweet-smelling, white flowers which change to yellow as they age.
Of Broad-leaf Kvergreens, whose scarcity is a marked feature of the Korean flora, only four
species grow in this neighbourhood and northward, and none is really common. Hereabouts, a low
growing species of Box is fairly plentiful, but its distribution is limited. On the mountains in the north
two species of Rhododendron (R. brachycarpum and R. chrysanthum) grow, but are rather rare, A low
growing Bamboo (Sasa spiculosa) is found here and there, but possesses neither beauty nor economic
value. Except in the extreme south no Holly [page 14] (ilex) grows in Korea, but Mistletoe, both with
a greenish white and reddish fruit, is a common pest everywhere.
The mountains of Korea are not particularly rich in woody Alpine plants, although on them
grow a number of such plants which are widely distributed round the northern Hemisphere and are
commonly called circumpolar plants. Of these the Crowberry (Empctrum nigrumn), Cowberry
(Vaccinium Vitis- Idaea), Blueberry (Vaccinium uliginosum), Greenland Tea (Ledum palustre),
various species of low growing Willows, and the red-fruited variety of Arctous alpina are the most
common.
Korea is rich in herbs, many of which have conspicuous and beautiful flowers, and none
more so than the different Gentians, Monkshoods, Lilies, Astilbes, Chrysanthemums, irises and Asters.
In the Autumn, blue is the dominant colour among the herbs in blossom. This is in marked contrast to
the herbaceous flora of Europe and North America, where yellow prevails. One Korean herb is
particularly noteworthy on account of the enormous size of its leaves, which are round, and as large as
a small table. Its name is Rodgersia tabularis, and it was first discovered by Dr. John Ross, one of the
earliest Protestant Missionaries in Manchuria. In the extreme north and northwest of Korea this plant
is very common in shady places, it grows five to six feet tall, and has terminal clusters of small, pure
white flowers.
So far in this cursory story of the Vegetation of Korea I have dealt with the typical flora only.
Let us now consider some exceptions. On the volcanic island of Quelpaert, situated in the extreme
south of the Korean archipelago, we find a totally different flora to that of the mainland proper. This
flora is largely composed of evergreen woody plants nearly all of which are also found in Japan. In
fact, the flora of Quelpaert is not Korean but Japanese though geologically the island belongs to the
Korean system of volcanoes and not to the Japanese. The presence of so many evergreen trees ana
shrubs on Quelpaert is due to the warm and equable climate largely induced by the Japan current
which washes its shores. To-day, the island [page 15] is well-nigh denuded of large trees, but at
one time it was densely forested, and history tells us that Kublai-Khan built a hundred ships there for
his attack on Japan. On the middle slopes of Ha llai-san, the main peak of the island, are pure woods
of Hornbeam (Carpinus laxiflora and C. Tschonoskii). These woods are unique in eastern Asia as far
as my knowledge goes, but alas they are rapidly being destroyed for the cultivation of a Mushroom
(Shiitake). For this purpose the trees are felled and cut into logs which are allowed to partially rot ;
they are then stacked angle-wise and on these rotting logs the Mushroom develops. Apart from its
close relationship with that of Japan the flora of Quelpaert has many anomalies. For example : no
Spiraea, Deutzia nor Philadelphus grows there, whereas, these are the commonest of plants on the
mainland 0f Korea and Japan. Again, the Fir which grows on Quelpa rt is peculiar to the Island and to
Mt. Chiri.
The small island of Ooryongto (Utsuruyoto, Takeshima or Warrior Island), situated in the
Japan Sea, off the east coast of Korea, is another interesting outpost of the Japanese flora. This island
is of volcanic origin and is largely made up of trachyte lavas, and belongs to the Korean system. On
this island topsyturvydom obtains, for many Alpine plants grow at sea-level and plants which in Japan
are found only near the coast grow high up on the mountain-side. Here, too, are found forests of
Beech, a tree common in Japan but unknown on the mainland of eastern Asia, cxcept in the heart of
China, The Japanese Hemlock (Tsuga Seboldii) is common on Ooryongto but does not reach the
mainland of Korea, and the five leaved Pine on the Island is not the Korean Nut Pine, but the Japanese
Goyo-matsu (Pnius parviflord). The Paulownia, so much cultivated in Japan where its wood is made
into chests and sandals, is possibly indigenous in Ooryongto, and so too is the Keyaki (Zelkowa
serrata). Formerly this interesting little Island was heavily forested, and the pillars and beams used in
construction of many temples in Japan, notably those of the Higashi-Hongwanji in Kyoto, came from
there, But to day, what forest remains is only in the [page 16] central and least accessible part of
the Island. Round the coast the Chinese Juniper (Juniperus chinensis) is common and is indigenous.
Lastly, a word or two may be said about some of the common fruit trees of Korea. These,
like those of Japan, have been mainly introduced from China ; this is true of the Peach, Plum, Sand
Pear, Persimmon, common Walnut, and one of the two Chestnuts cultivated ; the other Chestnut is
indigenous and so too very probably is the Apricot A Pear (Pyrus ussuriensis) is a common wild tree
in northern Korea and forms of it are cultivated in Korea and Manchuria, and yield a small, flattenedround fruit of good quality.
In the northwest a Bush Cherry (Prunus tomentosa) with red, edible fruit is a common wild
plant ; and in the extreme north, Currants, both Red and Black, are indigenous.
In the course of one short lecture it is obviously impossible to do more than skim the surface
of such a subject as the Vegetation of Korea, but I earnestly hope that the little I have said is enough to
show that the subject it not without interest, and that it is worthy of the study during leisure moments
of those who live or sojourn in Korea.
ASPEN OR TREMBLING POPLAR (Populus trcmula L.)
Tree 40 ft. tall, girth of trunk 3 ft. Pukchin, Heian-hokudo.
MAIDENHAIR TREE (Ginkgo biloba L.)
Tree 80 ft. tall, girth of trunk 14 ft. Choanji Temple, Kongo-san, Kogendo.
RED PINE (Pinus densiflora S. & Z.)
Tree 75 ft. tall, girth of trunk 12ft. Near Kojyo, Kogendo.
KOREAN NuT PINE (Pinus koraiensis S. & Z.)
Tree 80 ft., tall, girth of trunk 7 ft. Shoyudo, Heian-hokudo
CREEPING PINE (Pinus puwila Regel)
Summit of Laolin-san, alt. 2002 m. Kankyo-nando
KOREAN FIR (Abies holophvlla Maxim.)
Tree 90 ft. tall, girth of trunk 10 ft. Kongo-san, Kogendo.
FLAT-LEAF SPRUCE (Picea jezoensis Carr) T
rees 90 ft tall, average girth of trunks 8 ft. Setsurei, near
3 Vol. 9
Engan, Kankyo-hokndo
KOREAN WHITE-BARK FIR (Abies nephrolepis Maxin.)
Trees 75 ft. tall, average girth of trunks 5 ft. Tokuritsudo, Kankyo-hokudo.
KOREAN LARCH
(Larix dahurica, var, Principis-Rupprechtii Rehd. & Wils.)
Forming pure forests: trees from 120 to 150 ft. tall, girth of trunks
from 6 to 9 ft. Near Yuhyo, Kankyo-hokudo.
KOREAN LARCH
About 50 years old, overtopping and killing Birch.
Near Enshamen, Kankyo-hokudo.
Korean Larch forest being displaced by mixed forest of Flat-leaf
Spruce, Korean White-bark Fir and Korean Nut Pine.
Near Saikarei, Kankyo-nando.
Mixed forest of Flat-leaf Spruce, Korean White-bark Fir and Korean
Nut Pine at their zenith : trees from 80 to 120 ft. tall, girth of
trunks from 8 to 12ft. Near Saikarei, Kankyo-nando
Mixed forest of Korean Nut Pine, Korean White-bark
Fir and Flat-leaf Spruce being displaced by mixed forest of
Hard-wood trees. Nansha-hanbakduo, Heian-nando
PURE FOREST OF HARD-WOOD TREES ; IN FOREGROUND MONGOLIAN OAK
(QUERCUS MONGOLICA FLISCH.)
Tree 60 ft. tall, girth of trunk 7 ft. Takkol, Hejan-hokudo.
PURE FOREST OF RED PINE (Pinus densiflora S. & Z.)
Trees from 80 to 90 ft. tall, girth of trunks from 5 to 8 ft.
Near Heido, Chusei-hokudo
KOREAN YEw (Taxus cuspidata S. & Z.)
Tree 55 ft. tall, girth of trunk 8 ft. Kongo-san, Kogendo.
KOREAN TAN-BARK OAK (Quercus dentata Thunb.)
Tree 50 ft. tall, girth of trunk 7 ft. Near Fukendo, Kogendo
PAK-TAL-NAM (Betula Schmidtii Regel)
Tree 55 ft. tall, girth of trunk 7 ft. Takkol, Heian-hokudo.
MANCHURIAN BOX-ELDER (Acer mandshuricum Maxim.)
Tree 80 ft. tall, girth of trunk 7 ft. Takkol, Heian-hokudo
MANCHURIAN WALNUT (Juglans mandshurica Maxim.)
Trees from 70 to 80 ft. tall, girth of trunks from 6 to 7 ft.
Takkol, Heian-hokudo.
MAXIMOWIOZ’S POPLVR (Populus M ximou iozii Henry)
Tree 90 ft. tall, girth of trunk 14 ft. Ensuido, Kankyo-hokudo
SMALL-LEAF ELM (Ulmus pumila L.)
Tree 75 ft. tall, girth of trunk 11 ft. near Mozan, Kankyo-hokudo
JAPANESE STRAWBERRY-TREE (Myrica rubra S. & Z.
An evergreen tree 25 ft. tall, girth of trunk 9 ft. Quelpaert Island.
HORNBEAM (Carpinus Tschonoskii Maxim. & C. laxiflora Bl.)
Forming pure forest: trees from 50 to 60 ft. tall, girth
of trunkn from 6 to 8 ft. Quelpaert Island
JAPANESE HEMLOCK (Tsuga Sieboldii Carr.)
Trees from 60 to 70 ft. tall, girth of trunks from 6 to 8 ft.
Ooryongto Island.
KOREAN MOUNTAIN PEAR (Pyrus ussuriensis Maxim.)
Tree 35 ft. tall, girth of trunk 7 ft. Near Ketsubutsuri, Kankyo-nando.
(Appendix to Professor Wilson’s Lecture).